


Masks

by Moon_Mirage



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Double Life, F/M, Secret Identities, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-08-11 16:50:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16479266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Mirage/pseuds/Moon_Mirage
Summary: Superhero AU. After a lunar eclipse leaves some with special powers, Cress becomes Satellite - a superhero with cyberpathic abilities. Besides the supervillains she’s got to fight, there’s the smug thief called Captain, a man who uses his powers to foil all her plans. But when the masks come off, little does Cress know her nemesis is actually closer to her than she thinks ...





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Her veins were humming, responding to the transmissions that were flowing around her as palpable as the light breeze on the rooftop she was currently standing on, her blood echoing the electronic, digital, and radio waves.

At that stage, they only pricked at the back of her neck. If she allowed herself, she could hear the pieces of phone calls, see e-mails written in the front of her eyes and feel her skin vibrate with the music coming from radios. With a blink of her eyes she could disconnect the calls, delete the mails and switch radio stations.

Every other week some paper released new studies warning about the effect of cell phone radiation. What would they say about a human signal transmitter, receiving and amplifying every particle with her mind alone?

(Not that she recommended anyone following her example.)

No, that power was for Satellite alone to handle. A power that was as subtle and encompassing as the moonlight.

~'~'~

Like millions of other people, Cress had been excited for the Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse for the sole reason that it was such a rare and spectacular sight.

Who could have known that it would change her forever, right down to her DNA?

But when the shadow passed over the moon, turning it red as blood, Cress's own blood seemed to freeze in her veins. Her head had felt like it was split in half and the endless green string of a binary code scrolled down in front of her eyes, fading away into nothingness.

~'~'~

When she had woken up, everything had been different.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Satellite huffed as she once again lost the trail of Captain. She had no time for his antics today, she was already pressed for time. She crouched down in the dingy alleyway, enough so no passerby from the street could spot her, and let her senses trail down her nerves and into every surveillance camera in a three mile radius.

Every lens turned into her eyes, carefully scouting to catch a glimpse of the masked figure. She knew he wasn't subtle in his movements so it wouldn't take long– There!

Satellite scaled up the building, a physical feat she couldn't have ever dreamed of before her DNA had been changed. Smaller than most, Cress never had the physical prowess to compete with anyone in terms of speed or strength. But as Satellite, she was fast, agile and strong.

She unfortunately couldn't fly like Captain could. This and his ability to disintegrate into thin air made it almost impossible for her to catch him.

And she needed to catch him.

Or at least, stop him long enough to get her father's documents back. She knew he still had them, waiting for the right opportunity to sell them to the highest bidder, probably. There was Commonwealth Corp in Beijing but they would hardly pay for the research they commissioned her father to do. Not that they lacked the money, but from what she could tell from Rikan Zhen and his son Kaito, they weren't the type to deal with criminals. Or maybe they would. After all, her father's research could be the first step to understand how the Lunar eclipse affected a few dozen people's DNA so uncannily that they developed a range of superpowers prior only known from comic books and Hollywood movies.

Then there was Blackburn Inc. with their elusive figurehead Cress didn't know much about – even with her cyberpathic powers. She had tons of run-ins with Blackburn Inc.'s henchmen though.

Super-powered wolf soldiers who were engineered, unlike Satellite, Captain, Mechanic and Red, whom she had seen fighting in Beijing and Paris respectively, as well as other people who suddenly got superpowers from the Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse. Super-powered wolf soldiers who were engineered, unlike Satellite, Captain, Mechanic and Red, whom she had seen fighting in Beijing and Paris respectively, as well as other people who suddenly got superpowers from the Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse. How, Cress didn't know, but they all displayed the same powers – the vicious brutality, the superhuman senses and strength – in a way that couldn't be a natural emergence of some latent powers. Especially since their appearance was just as unnatural with their wolf-like features and hairy bodies.

Even as Satellite, Cress had no real fighting power. She could use her surroundings to her advantage but that allowed her mostly to escape their wrath. Sometimes, she had to admit grudgingly, only with Captain's help. He had managed to get her out the few times the wolf soldiers had surrounded her. Swooping in, his body had materialised next to her and snatched her out of danger. It was almost heroic.

Almost. He still stole her father's research.

Satellite took a wide jump from one of the skyscrapers and landed hard on another rooftop where Captain leaned casually against one of the scaffolds as if he had been expecting her.

He probably had.

With slow, deliberate steps, Satellite made his way over to him. "Hand them over, Captain." She made sure to regulate her voice so it would hide her slight Ukrainian accent. It was doubtful Captain would recognise her with it, but she felt safer all the same.

She could see him smirking, his mouth the only part of his face she could see beneath the mask, the expression familiar enough that they pricked at something in the back of her head. "Hand over … what?" He taunted, his voice feigning innocence while keeping his hands resolutely behind his back.

Satellite glared even though he probably couldn't see it behind her own mask. She changed her posture, self-assured and tough in a way that she hardly was as Cress. "You know exactly what I mean, Captain. The Venezuelan dream dolls you just stole from the museum." On top of stealing her father's research, Captain had the unfortunate tendency to steal everything valuable from Beijing to New York.

Beijing where she first crossed paths with him as he stole her father's documents right from inside Commonwealth Corp while they were visiting the facilities.

Which was easy for him since he could walk through walls. No building, no safe and no vault could stop him. Neither could the museum he stole the Venezuelan dream dolls from.

By now Satellite knew his patterns, the things that caught his interest. It was easy for her to check on the countless security cams installed all over the city until she caught him sneaking in one on of them. He wasn't subtle, knowing fully well that no security guard or policemen could ever catch him. Sometimes Captain let them put him in handcuffs or even seat him in the back of their car just for fun. Minutes later he was gone, vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind than a pair of empty handcuffs while he was already far away with his stolen goods.

Satellite knew that she couldn't catch him. But at least, she could try to get back what he stole. And she had to do it quick, she thought with a glance to a clock on top of a nearby building.

"I love how you call me Captain," he purred, his whole demeanor cocky.

Cress scoffed. "Because you named yourself that."

A shrug. "So? I like the sound of it." When he came closer, Cress had to force herself not to step back. She wouldn't cave in. Not as Satellite.

As Satellite she was a superhero, brave in the face of her enemies.

Though Cress would have expected her archenemy to be a figure that left dread in its wake, dangerous to the bones and scary to behold.

Not a flirty thief whose only flaw seemed to be his own vanity.

It wouldn't do dwelling on her unlikely archenemy though. She had to hurry and get back home. Back to her life and identity as Cress. "Just give me the dolls, Captain," she snarled, knowing fully well that she couldn't just grab them from him.

He took his hands from behind his back, showing as suspected the two dream dolls, stuffed haphazardly in a blue satchel. "You mean these? Ugly little things, aren't they? But worth a lot to the right buyer." Captain grinned at her. "I might be inclined to give them to you … for the right price of course."

At that she huffed. "I don't negotiate with criminals."

He nodded thoughtfully as if he had expected her response. "You expect me to just hand over a lot of things without giving anything in return. These dream dolls, that old doctor's messy documents … that's not how one does business, Satellite," he said reproachfully, a smile still dancing on his lips.

Cress bristled at his words. "Because you stole everything. Those things didn't belong to you in the first place, you, you … thief!"

"Ouch," Captain dead-panned, clearly unimpressed. "That hurt."

Satellite ignored him, inconspicuously scanning their surroundings. She might not have much fighting power, nothing like Red in France who could shoot red energy from her hands, but she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. There wasn't much, except the entrance that led to the rooftop. The door seemed heavy, and when she concentrated, she could feel it was well secured by a control panel and alarm system. She let her mind travel into it, slowly reworking the codes.

Captain didn't notice anything as he continued to speak, but she knew she had to be quick.

"Maybe you got a thing for me with all that chasing after me you're doing?"

When his words registered, Satellite sputtered, her concentration thrown off for a second. "I do not." How dare he? "And you're not the only one I'm chasing. After all, there are tons of criminals I have to catch beside you." Which was only half-way true. She didn't have to catch anyone. But that's what people with superpowers did, right? Catch the bad guys the police couldn't on their own.

Even if she would be much better at tracing back hackers and uncovering secret accounts on the Cayman Islands. But that didn't feel nearly as superhero-ish.

"And here I thought I was something special," Captain pouted, overly dramatic, humour etched on the features she could spot beneath his mask. "I tell you, you wouldn't be able to resist if you could see my dreamy blue eyes."

Satellite rolled her eyes, but instead of answering, Satellite readied herself as she finally worked her way into the security system of the building.

"But as flattering as it is that you're following me around, I must tell you that I'm actually already tak—" He was interrupted by the blaring sound of alarm sirens going off, and the door behind him opening its lock so fast, it banged on the wall. The sounds were deafening as Captain turned around, his body tense, just as Satellite had expected. She leaped at him, snatching the dream dolls from the satchel, her reflexes unnaturally fast.

"Hey!" Captain spun around, trying to grab at her, but with her small stature, Satellite ducked under his arm, jumped on the scaffold and leaped.

She didn't turn around to see if he followed as she jumped from building to building and down some alleyways in a zig-zag pattern through the city, closing back in on the museum where he stole the dream dolls from. Only then, perched on top of an elaborate glass ceiling, did she stop, just slightly out of breath.

The police were already present, no doubt having been informed of the theft. She didn't mind them usuallybut they certainly were suspicious about the sudden emergence of superheroes (and villains) in the last two years. They stuck to their own methods to solve crimes, and more often than not, Satellite was met with suspicion rather than with gratefulness. And if not, they wanted to take her for questioning (which Cress was sure Superman or Batman never had to bother with).

Questions after questions she had no time for today.

She hardly could leave the dolls on the roof though. With a sigh, Cress took another jump, landing next to the police car where a young policeman, who looked like he had just finished the academy, stood. He gasped when he recognised her, and Satellite could see that he had no idea what to do. She only hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid like grabbing for the gun at his hips. Not that the police had actually tried to shot her yet but it wasn't uncommon that she was held at gunpoint while she returned stolen goods or apprehended criminals.

Satellite held up the dolls. "The police are here for these?"

He looked between her and the dolls, then nodded, a bit dumbfounded.

"You know who I am, right?"

Another nod.

Satellite held in a sigh. "Okay, good. Well, get those dolls back inside. Quickly. And tell the curator and security staff to keep the dolls somewhere else for now. Not a vault or safe. Just somewhere nobody would expect to look right away. You think you can do that?"

He nodded again which was all she needed. She handed the dolls to him which he took gingerly, the ugly dolls looking almost small in his big hands.

Turning on her heel to leave, she gave the policemen a small smile. "Thank you."

"Wait." He blushed slightly. "Could you ... maybe... um..."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

And suddenly the words tumbled out of him. "Can I please have an autograph, Ms. Satellite?"

* * *

Cress hurried to get the finishing touches done. Due to the Captain's newest attempt to steal a valuable object, she had less time than she had anticipated. Still, she was happy with her arrangements as she glanced at her preparations with content.

Just when she glanced at the clock to check the time, she heard the door in the hallway open.

"Honey, I'm home."

Bursting with happiness, Cress quickly made her way to the hallway only to be scooped up by Thorne and whirled around. A squeal escaped her, and she knew that he was just as excited about tonight as she was.

He set her down to her feet, but kept her close as he leaned down, his forehead touching hers. "I'm glad that after one year together, you're still as excited when I get home. Let's hope it lasts for the years to come." He drew her in for a soft kiss, then, as if unable to resist, pulled her in for another, much longer one. "Happy first anniversary, Mrs. Smith."

Cress beamed. "Happy first anniversary to you too, Mr. Smith," Cress echoed. Then she removed herself from his embrace, ignoring his pout as she grabbed his hand to lead him to the living room. Every bit of surface was decorated with flags, postcards, small souvenirs and photos from the European countries they travelled together during the summer they fell in love in. Cress couldn't believe that one year later, here she was with him, married and happy.

Thorne looked around, astonished. "Cress, what is all of this?"

"Well, I thought if we can't go back to Europe, I might as well bring Europe to us. The culinary aspect of it at least." She whirled through the room, pointing at all the bowls and plates at each station. "Starting in the UK, we have pasties just like ones we ate at that little pub where we had to go when it started to rain. Then I made  _mesclun_  - remember the salad we had at Benoit's farm in France? I made sure to get the recipe for the dressing from Scarlet. Then  _pasta cacio e pepe_."

Thorne came closer to take a look at the photos from their travels she had placed next to the dishes. "Ah yes. I remember it. In the tavern before the accident." He pointed to one photo where two of his fingers were bandaged and Cress sported some gashes and bruises on her knees. Cress too remembered the accident they had with the Vespa scooter they had rented. It hadn't been critical but they did have to get to the hospital to get Thorne's fingers treated, more so than her bruises. "If I remember correctly," he added with a dimpled smile that made her melt every time, "that was before I proposed to you for the first time."

Cress pursed her lips. "While you were on pain killers."

He shrugged. "So? I asked you again only a few weeks later and you said yes." He brushed a strand off her face, his eyes a soft shade of blue that Cress couldn't describe as anything but dreamy. The thought gave her pause and she shook her head to get rid of the Captain's voice taunting her. There was only one pair of dreamy blue eyes she cared about and they belonged to Thorne, not the thief who just happened to be lucky enough to get superpowers that made it possible for him to steal whatever he wanted and get away scot-free.

She didn't argue Thorne's point since he was right. Instead, she continued listing the food. "Then a focaccia, and here are  _bifteki_  from Greece, as well as  _tzatziki_. Minus the garlic," she added bashfully.

An impish grin played on Thorne's lips. "Ooh, what, do we have plans for tonight, Mrs. Smith?"

As if he didn't know. "Oh, hush." He chuckled at her response, nudging her good-naturedly. "Anyway, we were on the bus for most of our trip to Ukraine? So, I couldn't really include something from Romania, except those  _covrigi_  we got on the bus break." She pointed to the pretzel-shaped goods, completing everything she had prepared. Well, almost everything she had prepared.

"This is amazing." Thorne indeed looked impressed. But Cress could see the tiniest hint of disappointment on his face only because she expected it. He schooled his features quickly enough. She was glad when he leaned down to kiss her again, so it would hide the small grin. "Thank you, love. It's perfect, and you're the best wife in the world."

"Well, if you're already this grateful, wait till you see"—she grabbed his hands once more and led him to their kitchen—"this!"

Thorne cheered when he recognised the dishes he had come to enjoy above others in Cress's home country:  _varenyky_  and  _pyrizhky_ ,  _deruny_  as well as  _mlyntsi_  with sour cream and  _kotletapo-kyivsky_. She hadn't made everything herself but had ordered some from one of the Ukrainian shops she and Thorne had come to frequent. They had also offered her a wine as well as a brand of beer Thorne had sometimes ordered back then. Cress might have gone a bit overboard, but it was their first anniversary after all.

And it had moved her beyond words when Thorne had tried his first Ukrainian dish, relishing every bite and praising the taste to her and the cooks, endearing him to the whole staff. Even now living in the US, Thorne was excited whenever Cress prepared some Ukrainian dishes and they had worked out a way to include customs from both their countries for the important holidays.

"And now you're the best wife in the galaxy!" He took everything in, his brow creasing in thought. "Um, darling?

Cress looked up. "Yes?"

There was a short silence. "I'm so grateful for everything and I'm sure it's going to be delicious ... who is going to eat all that stuff?"

It  _was_ a lot of food, she agreed (and she hadn't even told him about the  _yabluchnyk_ , the honey cake she had prepared for dessert). But they had travelled through so many countries together that summer, she wanted to recreate the experience. Cress was glad that even with Captain's interference, she had managed to buy and cook everything she had planned. "We are. I thought we would eat as much as we can and the rest goes in the fridge for the next few days. "

"Sounds like a plan." Thorne looked as if he couldn't wait to dig in, so they filled their plates with a bit of everything, grabbed the wine before moving back into the living room for the rest. They settled on the floor in comfort, eating and drinking and reminiscing with all the photos Cress had put up. Thorne praised the food, making Cress giddy that her hard work paid off.

"Oh, remember that?" Cress, who had just taken a bite of the of the Varenyky Thorne had offered, glanced at the photo he held up. It showed Cress and Thorne, both tanner than now, leaning against the rail of a ship they had taken from Italy down to Greece. Thorne sported a carefree grin, his arms around her and Cress's hair blew in the wind. It was a cute pic, but Cress wasn't quite sure what Thorne referred to.

Cress swallowed before asking, "You mean the boat trip to Antirrio?"

Thorne set his plate aside, pointing to the photo, roughly where Cress's head was. There was a secretive smile etched on the corner of his lips. "Your necklace. You must have lost it on the ship but you still wear it here."

"Oh." Cress had been devastated when she realised that her necklace was gone. It hadn't been expensive and didn't have much sentimental value, but she had worn that cheap little necklace with the crescent moon pendant for years. Still, it was thoughtful that Thorne remembered it at all.

"I'm sorry you lost it." He nuzzled her neck, caressing the back of it and Cress felt something cold. "I know it's not the same but I hope you'll like it nonetheless."

Cress hand flew to her neck where she could feel a necklace she hadn't worn seconds ago. "Thorne?"

He looked into her eyes, sincere and full of love. "Happy anniversary, Cress."

"We said no presents!"

Thorne laughed. "And all of this?" He gestured to the food and the decorations. "That's a year's effort worth of presents."

Cress pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Instead she stood up and made her way to the mirror in the hallway (which Thorne had insisted on). "Oh." The golden necklace was delicate, just long enough to brush below her collarbone. A diamond-studded crescent moon hung from it while tiny golden stars were attached to either side. It was exquisite and more so, it was exactly something she loved to wear. Cress didn't have an eye for expensive things like Thorne did and never spent much money on them, but even she could tell that this necklace, as thin as the chain and as small as the pendant were, must have been expensive.

She could hear Thorne approaching her before he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "So, you like it?"

Cress laughed shakily as she turned around in his embrace. "Like it? I love it, it's so beautiful." Her fingers trailed the chain. "But it must have been expe—"

He interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "So? It's our first anniversary. And I came into some money today. A deal paid off exactly how I wanted it, so I thought I should buy my wife something nice." He grinned. "Except if you want me to return it—"

This time, Cress interrupted him before he could finish with a deep kiss. She had longed for this the whole day. Wanting to be with him, kiss him, feel him. She had loved their easy conversation, the reminiscing, the gift, but now ... now she wanted,  _needed_ more of him.

Cress allowed herself to dictate the pace, every moment filled with urgency. Thorne reciprocated eagerly, pulling her closer before his lips trailed down the side of her face, easily finding her favourite spot to be kissed, just below her jawline. A happy sigh escaped Cress's lips and she could feel his grin against her neck. Her hands started roaming his body, the width of his shoulders and chest where she worked her way through the buttons of his shirt one by one.

"Cress ...," he whispered her name but didn't say anything else. Instead, she could feel him making quick work of her dress, his urgent tugging only interrupted by more languid kisses that set her whole body aflame.

Impatient, Cress pulled his shirt off, caressing every inch of his body that by now was almost as familiar to her as her own. His moans encouraged her, her lips and fingertips trailing over his chest as she led them both back into the living room. She had no idea how they made it to the couch without stepping into food or breaking any plates. Together, they tumbled onto the couch, Cress letting out a squeal when Thorne's body squished her.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Maybe we should have gone to the bedroom?"

But Cress was more interested in opening his belt buckles. "Too"—She whimpered as Thorne settled between her legs, his weight delicious—"far away."

She heard his chuckle. "So impatient."

Cress huffed. She refrained from pointing out that he wasn't much better than her. After all, there were so many more interesting things she could do with her mouth. She drew him in for another kiss while the sensations he elicited from her body were both exciting and torturous. He moved ever so slightly over her, gaining access to every spot he knew she liked, making her whole body shudder.

But he broke the kiss. Instead, the feverish urgency of their kisses was replaced by Thorne's fingers trailing gently over her cheek. "Cress." He coaxed her until she opened her eyes. He looked at her, the soft light casting his face in shadows. Cress felt a twinge of something inexplicable she couldn't place, a flicker of recognition, which passed as quickly as it had come as he inched down, his eyes shining bright blue in the dimmed room.

A strand of his usual perfectly-styled hair fell onto his forehead as he leaned down. "I love you."

Warmth spread through Cress's body, deeper and more profound than any throes of passion ever could. "I love you too."

* * *

Throes of passion were rather nice after all, Cress decided. Her head rested lazily on Thorne's chest, his heartbeat not as erratic as it had been when she had slumped on top of him a few minutes ago ... or maybe half an hour ago. Cress had lost all track of time since then. She could easily use her powers to look up the current time, but then she got distracted by a languid kiss or the trail of Thorne's fingers that left goosebumps on her spine.

"We should take all the food into the fridge. It would be shame if we let it go bad after all the effort you put into it."

Cress groaned. Thorne was right but she wasn't inclined to move. She would rather have him play with her hair some more until she dozed off. She mumbled something but even she wasn't quite sure what. She heard his laugh.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," he said with a quick kiss on the top of her head.

Before she knew it, he was up, but it must have happened so quickly that Cress couldn't say how he moved from under her. One second he was there, firm and warm beneath her, the next, there was nothing but the soft cushions of the couch. But then she got distracted by the view he provided as he collected the plates, not bothering with any clothes. He winked when he noticed her stare.

"See something you like?"

"Mh-hmm." Cress smiled appreciatively. "You cleaning up the living room."

"Oh, so that turns you on?" He made a show to stack the plates, flexing his muscles in the process as much as possible. "Then look at that, one-handed. That should make you swoon alright." Balancing the dishes on one arm, he carefully turned towards the kitchen, showing off his defined back.

"Make sure not to break anything," Cress called after him.

"Yes, yes."

She heard him rummaging in the kitchen, and for lack of anything better to do, she linked herself to the net, checking the time and news. Another supervillain had terrorised the outskirts of Beijing but had been defeated by Mechanic. Protesters had gathered in Buenos Aires to call for immediate and secure imprisonment of any human with super powers, no matter what they used their powers for. Some engineer from Oslo proclaimed he found a new weapon against superhumans which involved moon dust, though there was much criticism concerning his findings. Gossip reporters were trying to figure out the reasons for Iko's sudden departure from Milan during fashion week, being delighted by the scandal, the most popular rumour being that the model was pregnant, on drugs, was one of the superpowered humans or that she was pregnant with a superpowered human because of drugs. Cress huffed in annoyance when her eyes snagged on the breaking news:

_Captain strikes again ~~~ Two_ _Venezuelan_ _dream dolls stolen ~~~ Priceless artefacts gone without a trace_

Cress cursed in Ukrainian. Of course he found the dream dolls. Of course he took them. There was no way he couldn't get his hands on something he wanted if it wasn't well hidden. Captain could steal many more things, but he only targeted specific pieces. Cress assumed he only stole when he was commissioned by someone else he could then sell it to. If only the police had taken more precautions. Maybe if she had taken them with her, but maybe that was stealing too? She didn't even know, but once more, the futility of chasing Captain struck her.

"Everything alright?" Thorne asked, popping his head into the doorway.

"Um ..." Cress tried to come up with an explanation. "I forgot that I also made some cake and we didn't get to try it."

Thorne raised an eyebrow. "You can still eat?" Cress nodded even though cake hadn't been on her mind at all. "Yeah, me too. I saw it in the fridge and it looks great. I'll bring us a piece."

"Thanks," Cress called, less excited about the prospect of a nice dessert. It wouldn't do to let the news get to her though. It was bound to happen after all. As soon as the police put the dolls back in the museum where they belonged, Captain could steal them without any trouble. The only thing that should truly concern her were her father's documents, his research on the Lunar eclipse and the superpowers they caused in a few hundred people across the globe. She had no idea how but she had to get them back. That was her priority.

When Thorne came back with the piece of cake and fed her the first bite, Cress made up her mind to not let Captain spoil her happy anniversary any more than he already had.

Nope, today was just about her and Thorne, and their wonderful normal life as Mr. and Mrs. Smith.


	2. Chapter 2

"Morning, love."

Cress angled her head, so Thorne could place the expected kiss on her cheek, hardly looking up from her fashion magazine. She knew she could use her powers to browse the same magazine online but she enjoyed turning the thin pages, placing dog-ears on her favourite pages and making a few notes on the newest trends (though she skipped the blue braids that were so popular at the moment). She wasn't particularly interested in buying something new but she enjoyed the simple routine to start her day.

"Morning," she greeted back, taking another sip from her coffee.

Thorne looked over her shoulder. "I like this one," he said, pointing to one of the dresses she had marked with a deep-cut back. His voice dropped to a raspy whisper. "Though what you're wearing now is my favourite. Aside from wearing nothing, of course." He easily evaded the slight jab to his ribs, making his way to the counter to prepare his own coffee and toast.

Not without blowing her a kiss that should be infuriating but instead made her laugh. She shook her head as she looked down at what she was wearing at the moment - Thorne's shirt.

And not very much else.

Of course he would like that.

"When's the baby shower again," Thorne asked between bites, taking a seat across from her her. He was already showered, dressed and styled. Then again, he had the time since he didn't mind leaving a mess in his wake. Cress could bet the bed was still unmade and all the bottles and tubes he used were still uncapped and lying around the bathroom. She told herself not to be too bothered by this habit.

"At five. You think you can make it?"

Thorne's schedule was erratic as hers, though hers was due to her superhero activities. She was grateful that Thorne's job wasn't the usual nine-to-five—it made her irregular hours less suspicious.

"Sure." He didn't look very excited about this though. "What about you?"

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I think I might make it on time."

Thorne's response was an exaggerated sigh. "Bummer."

"Oh come on, you like Carina and Anthony."

He swallowed before answering. "I do, but I can't say a baby shower is my idea of a fun evening." His features suddenly lit up. He wagged his eyebrows mischievously. "Not like yesterday. Now that was what I'd call a fun evening. What do you say, can't we just ditch the whole baby shower thing and do something that is really the only fun part about the whole baby business?" He looked incredibly pleased with his idea.

"Ah-ah, no chance. We're going. And don't think I don't know you're joking. You bought the biggest gift basket in the shop. As if you would miss out a chance to present it to the Kennards." Cress had only shaken her head at the exorbitant gift basket Thorne made the lady at the baby store put together (though Cress hadn't been able to resist any of the tiny baby socks, the pretty keepsake boxes or the stuffed animals, either). Thorne really knew no limits when it came to stuff like that. Her fingers went up to her neck, playing with her new necklace. She couldn't say she minded this habit of his at least. Then something occurred to her. "I didn't know you could have a baby shower after the baby is born?"

"It's not common but possible. And Carina apparently didn't feel well enough to have a baby shower in the weeks before the birth. I think they had a more private celebration with their families then." He shrugged. "I'm fine with just a few friends."

"Me too," Cress agreed. She was still struggling to make friends in New York where everyone had a busy but fairly regular schedule. She, on the other hand, worked as an independent IT consultant. Not even close to what she had her degree in, but her new powers made it possible. And that way, she could pick her jobs as needed, explaining the odd hours to Thorne. But without any regular contact with co-workers, she so far had no luck integrating herself into any social circle. Even Carina and Anthony were just their neighbours.

"So five o'clock it is." He finished his toast and the last sips of his coffee. "I'll be on time to pick you up." He walked around the table to kiss her head. "Love you."

"Ahem." Cress pursed her lips pointing to the plate and cup Thorne had left on the table. "I thought you were at least trying to keep the kitchen clean, Thorne."

"You're right, babe. Sorry." To his credit, Thorne seemed sincerely sorry. He immediately grabbed his dishes and carried them to the sink where he rinsed a bit of water on them.

Cress didn't like nagging but there were a few things she knew were important if you were living together and basic cleanliness was part of it. Still ... "I'm not asking too much of you?"

Thorne turned to face her, considering her question. "I feel you're not asking enough," he finally said with a smile.

"Okay. Well, thank you for trying to keep the kitchen clean."

"Well, thank you for not making me do my bed every morning." He glanced at his watch. "Okay, I gotta go. See you later."

She pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Bye."

He left and Cress finished the rest of her breakfast, tidying up her things and a few of the things that Thorne left behind in the bathroom. As much as he cared about his own appearance (and his part of the closet was actually way more tidy then hers), Thorne certainly was messy about many other things.

She linked herself to the net to place the order for the brownies she wanted to bring to the baby shower when an emergency alert popped up in front of her eyes.

_Mutant alert in Brooklyn ~~~ Lone wolf monster threatens civilians ~~~ Mutant alert in Brooklyn ~~~ Police advise everyone to avoid the area in and around Prospect Park_

Cress cursed, dropping everything she had been holding, her mind whirring, jumping from security cam to security cam until she caught sight of the wolf monster on one of them.

By the time, Cress exited her home, she was already Satellite.

* * *

Even for an omega, he was fast and strong. The betas and gammas she had encountered were usually at least to some degree predictable in their movements but the single-minded viciousness of the omega in front of her threw her off. His sharpened claws had already cut into her skin several times.

Satellite might be faster and stronger than Cress ever was but she was no match for a wolf monster. Not without a power that let her attack.

Blood seeped through her suit, the injury not life-threatening but certainly slowing her down. She tried to keep him occupied, so he wouldn't run off to hurt any civilians that came his way, but it became harder and harder for her too keep up with the omega's attacks.

And she had no idea what to do.

This wasn't at all like her trying to snatch back some priceless artefacts from Captain. He might infuriate her but he never ever tried to hurt her.

Out of breath, she jumped out of reach and into a nearby tree, just to give herself a few seconds to ponder her options. The omega snarled, his grin evil as he knew that he was superior to her.

"Tsk, tsk, little hero. Afraid of the big bad wolf?" He taunted her in a voice that, despite the heavy Middle Eatern accent, was way to smooth for the likes of him.

He was a far-cry from being big. More puny than the other wolf soldiers but that wasn't helping Satellite at all. He was still stronger than her. Her hand pressed to her side and she cursed, knowing she would have to try and hide the gash from Thorne for days to come.

Thorne.

Whenever she was in a fight like this, she tried not to think of him. Thorne, who was her beacon of love and hope and normalcy in this new crazy world she lived in. Thorne, who had no idea what double-life his wife was leading.

Thorne, who—she was scared to admit to herself—she might never see again if she didn't find a way to stop the wolf monster.

The omega didn't seem to be too bothered by her hiding. "You don't want to play anymore, little hero?" He pouted in an exaggerated way that made his deformed features stand out even more. "I liked you as a weak little plaything. I wanted to play with you some more ... after I defeated you and you begged me for mercy."

Satellite shuddered at what his husky tones implied. She frantically thought of something to do. It didn't help that they were in a park where, aside from a few security cams, there was nothing she could use her powers with. Despair ran up her spine in cold waves. Even if she were in the middle of a computer room, there was nothing she could do to defeat him.

Absolutely nothing.

In a dark corner in the back of her mind, a little voice whispered that maybe that was the reason she was so focused on Captain.

Because he was the only other super-powered human she actually had a chance against with.

And maybe that was just because he never actually tried to hurt her.

Her hands gripped at the bark, trying to rid herself of anything that would throw off her focus. No more thoughts of Thorne, no more thoughts of Captain.

It was just her against the omega.

"If you don't like to be my plaything anymore, I'll have to find someone else." He sniffed and snarled, his posture exuding brutal confidence. "Like the policemen and women waiting outside, too scared to face me. I wonder what they'll do if I meet them? What do you think?"

"They'll shoot you on sight." Which was the practice now with anyone who had superpowers and who threatened people. No mercy with the bad guys, no chance to apprehend them and give them a trial. Basic human rights didn't extend to the likes of super-powered terrorists, as the press were quick to call them.

Even from afar, she could see the glint of the omega's fangs. "Maybe so. But how many will I rip apart until someone manages to actually hit me? Five? Twelve? All of them? I think I would like to find out ... since you're not inclined to do anything but pretend to be a hero."

He turned around with a grin that chilled Satellite to the bones, before crouching down and darting through the meadow towards the outskirts of the park.

Cursing, Satellite leaped down from her tree, frantically following him. He was faster but pure despair kept her on his heels. She linked herself into the park's computer system, hacking herself into every security cam and power distributor, into every lamp surrounding their path, overloading them so they exploded one by one when he passed them. Shards and pieces of plastic rained down at him, sparks of electricity singed at his hair and clothes.

It did nothing to stop him.

It was still enough to distract him just enough so Satellite could jump at his back, throwing off his balance. Her hands grabbed at everything she could reach, his hair, his ears, the corner of his mouth. He howled when she managed to poke his left eye and Satellite felt something wet on her fingers.

His claw-like hands grabbed at her, tearing at her suit and threw her so far away that she was rammed into a tree. Pain shot up her body but on pure instinct, she let herself roll away, his sharp nails grasping at the earth where, a second before, her head had been.

"You bitch!" His voice had lost every bit of the smoothness. "You’ll pay for that!"

Satellite leaped away from him but her movements were sluggish and she had lost her bearings. Her foot caught on a rock, almost causing her to tumble down a slope.

The omega used that split second to tackle her and together, they fell down the rocky hill, his sharpened fangs only inches away from her neck. Her superhero suit was strong and durable but Satellite knew it was no match for those fangs. One wrong move and he would tear her throat to pieces.

Then it was over and the rolling stopped.

The omega was on top of her, pinning her down.

He leaned down and Satellite could smell a sweet perfume wafting off of him. Then she felt his finger, stroking her neck in an almost affectionate fashion. His firm grip made it impossible for her to turn away. "Got you," he purred.

His face relaxed and with his striking green eyes, though one of them bloodshot where she had managed to hurt him, she could almost see the man he had once been. Maybe not quite attractive, but handsome.

Somehow, this scared her more than his deformed wolfish features ever could.

He howled in triumph, his animalistic sound echoing off into the distance. "Time to die, little hero. I promise, I won't make it quick." His hands started to wrap around her throat and where they had caressed her before, they now squeezed the air out of her. Satellite struggled, trying to throw the omega off her but he effortlessly pinned her down, her throat racing with pain. Her lungs slowly realised that they weren't getting any air, burning with every breath she didn't take. Black spots danced in front of her eyes. Pitiful sounds escaped her mouth in an attempt to get some air.

She was about to die.

Defeated by one puny omega because she was so, so powerless.

She started to lose consciousness, the pain in her body, that had been so all-encompassing before, slowly fading away. Her mind spun, images of her father, so far in Beijing, of Thorne who didn't even know that his wife wouldn't be able meet him at home, of Captain whom she wished would save her like he did once before—

—when she heard the most deafening roar and suddenly, finally, the weight of the omega was thrown off her body and Satellite's lungs grasped for air before her mind registered that they could. Painful, heaving gasps of air, that hurt even though they saved her life.

In the distance, she could hear a fight, growling, skin ripping, but it took a few more moments for Satellite to gather her bearings enough to understand what she was seeing.

A masked man, taller than she had ever seen, fought the omega.

And the omega ... was losing.

He snarled and hissed but even with his sharp claws, he was no match for the new fighter.

The new fighter. A superhero like her.

Next to him, she couldn't believe that she ever thought that the omega was fast and strong. Now his movements seemed sluggish, his attacks never hitting their mark. Whoever the new hero was, he effortlessly combated the omega. The only thing they had in common was their viciousness as they clawed at each other, drawing blood. Nothing told her what the new hero's super power was aside from that immense strength and agility.

Satellite clutched at her throat, the pain fading away into a dull reminder where the omega's hands had squeezed. She knew she had only survived by sheer luck and not due to her own powers but right now, she was just glad to be alive.

The fight ended abruptly when the hero threw the omega against the rock wall. The grating sound of snapping bones sickened Satellite and the omega lay at the ground at a twisted angle, his back broken. His yelps and whimpers clutched at her soul and Satellite had to turn away.

The new fighter stared at his broken opponent, his fists clenching and unclenching. His profile allowed Satellite to see the hints of something wolfish in his mask design. When he turned around to face her, green eyes that were too glaring and too striking to be natural were visible behind his mask.

Eyes that were like all the other wolf monsters she had encountered before.

With slow steps, he approached her. Huge as he was, Satellite gave into her first, not very super-heroish instinct and scrambled away.

He stopped.

A few moments filled with awkward silence passed, only interrupted by the ragged breaths of the omega as he struggled to stay alive.

It didn't last long.

The new superhero looked back to the broken figure, which now laid completely still. Beneath the mask, Satellite could see his jaw flex in agitation.

Pity washed over Satellite though she couldn't tell why. She struggled to her feet. "Thank—" A coughing fit took over her, her bruised throat burning like fire. She heaved, gathered saliva in her mouth and swallowed it in an attempt to sooth her throat. It helped a little, so she tried again. "Thank you ... for saving me," she croaked.

He kept standing where he was, probably worried she would step back again if he tried to get closer again. Satellite gathered all her courage and approached him. He was even taller up-close, everything about him should be fierce and scary.

But instead, his features was tinged with sadness.

He growled at her thanks. "Are you alright?" His voice was raspy and thick with an accent that Satellite would place somewhere in the Middle East. Just like the omega. She had no idea what to make of it.

She nodded. "How did you find me?"

"I heard his howls." He pointed to the omega. "They led me here."

"Oh." A pause. "Who are you?"

His eyes gleamed behind the mask. "Wolf." A small grin allowed her to see his fangs, just for a second. She could hardly suppress a shudder.

"I'm Satellite." She gave a small wave. He didn't return it. "So, um, Wolf then. What a coincidence. Wolf, wolf mutants ... right?"

A flicker that Satellite thought could be amusement crossed his features. "No coincidence. They're engineered to be like me."

When Satellite realised what he had said, she gasped. "You're the alpha!"

Her father was convinced that those engineered wolf mutants had to got their DNA from some source. Very likely, a superhuman being like Satellite, Captain, Mechanic or Red who had gotten their powers during the Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse. They all displayed the same powers and their appearance was grotesque, inhuman. As if their bodies hadn't been able to handle the change.

Depending how well they did handle the change though, Satellite had gathered, they referred to themselves by ranks which repeated themselves within each pack. Betas, gammas and omegas. But none of them so far had been an alpha.

Or rather, _the_ alpha.

Staring at him, it was no wonder that whoever came up with the plan to use his DNA to engineer a whole group of super-powered humans had picked Wolf. The sheer power he radiated was incredible. If a simple omega had managed to overpower her, she couldn't imagine what the alpha was capable of.

It made her once more realise how unassuming and weak her own powers were. No one would pick her powers to replicate, that was for sure.

Wolf was shuffling his feet, like he was uneasy at her realisation. "Word has spread of that, then?"

It didn't and she didn't want him to worry about it. Without her connections to her father, she wouldn't have known either. "No, just ... I have my sources."

He cocked his head. "What are your powers?"

Dread washed over her. How could she tell him about her dumb powers when he was _the_ alpha? She already felt so insignificant in his presence. "Um, it's just cyberpathy."

For the first time since he appeared, Wolf seemed hesitant. "Cyber ..." He trailed off.

"Cyberpathy," Satellite repeated. "It's when you can control any kind of electronic or digital signal. Like hacking into computer systems with my mind," she supplied when he still seemed confused. It seemed the easiest way to explain even though her powers could do a bit more than that.

"Interesting," he said even though Cress could tell he hadn't exactly grasped what she had told him.

Satellite gave a short laugh, though it scratched her throat. "Yeah right. It didn't help me against _him_."

Wolf glanced back at the omega. As if against his own will, he walked towards the figure on the ground, kneeling beside it. "There aren't many who are a match against one of them. Even just an omega." With his mask on, Satellite couldn't read any of his feelings but the low voice held a myriad of emotions she couldn't guess at. "Least of all one as vicious as him. Not all of the pack members revel in the violence like he did."

"You know him?"

"His name was Ran." He suddenly fell very still and only then did Satellite notice how much he had fidgeted up until then. He didn't say anything for a long time and when he did, his voice was hushed. "He was my brother."

Brother? She looked down at the omega. His face was still etched with viciousness even now and Satellite couldn't believe that the blood-thirsty monster who had almost killed her was the brother of the hero who had saved her. It didn't seem possible but there was no reason to doubt him.

Though her fingers were shaking, she put her hand on Wolf's shoulder. He tensed for a second before she felt his own gloved fingers reaching up to touch hers. The moment didn't last long but it was all that Satellite had to offer.

"I wish our mother wouldn't find out about what happened to him." Wolf pulled himself up but even though he still towered over her, he didn't feel as tall as before.

Satellite had met some superheroes since the Lunar eclipse. When she visited her dad in Beijing, another super-powered human, Inferno, had set some districts ablaze with his fire powers. Afterwards, together with Thorne in Paris, another villain manipulated the electricity around him, allowing Voltage to lay waste to everything around him. In the first fight, a superhero called Mechanic was barely able to defeat Inferno by replicating the powers of both Satellite and Captain. In the second, Satellite had teamed up with Red.

No one, neither hero nor villain had revealed anything about themselves. Not like Wolf had just done. For someone as strong as Wolf, Satellite was surprised that he left himself so open.

So vulnerable.

Hearing the sirens in the distance, Satellite knew it was only a matter of time until the police would enter the park. They would find the omega and by running tests and matching his DNA with international databases, they would surely find out who the omega had been.

And possibly, they would find out who Wolf was too.

If there were no records though ... "Leave it to me. Don't worry, no one will find out who he is ... was," she corrected herself.

"What?"

Satellite cleared her sore throat. "I can hack into the police's database. Obscure every evidence about who he has been. Whatever they might find, it won't lead back to him, or your mother ... or you."

Disbelief crossed over his face, clear enough so Satellite could detect it even with his mask on. "You can do that?"

She pointed to herself. "Cyperpathy. I told you that's my power." She shrugged. "You saved my life. It's the least I can do."

He looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. "Thank you." He suddenly tensed. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air around him. "We can't stay here much longer. The police are entering the park from several directions."

Satellite surveyed the meadow and the group of trees beyond but as far as she could tell, the park was still empty. "How can you tell?"

He pointed to himself. "Wolf senses," he told her with the hint of a smile on his lips. It took Satellite a few seconds to realise that he had mimicked her. "We should split and hide until they pass us by. Alright?"

Astonished that he’d run his plan by her like her opinion mattered, like she could veto it, Cress could only nod dumbfoundedly.

Wolf pointed in one direction. "I'll take this route. If you keep close to the trees in that direction"—he pointed back to the way she had come in before she and the omega had fallen down the slope—"you should be able to escape without being noticed."

Satellite had no reason not to trust him. "Thank you." Preparing herself to climb back up the slope, she turned back to Wolf. "For everything. Stay safe, Wolf."

He nodded. "You too, Satellite." He glanced a last time back to the body of his brother. Satellite caught him saying something in a different language she couldn't place (it wasn't Arabic but maybe Hebrew?) before turning around and running off faster than Satellite had ever seen someone run. Already he was beyond her field of vision.

Her body ached but she did as she was told. She crouched down and jumped up the slope. With her having broken all the security cams, she couldn't use them to survey the route of the police, but she was small and despite her injuries, fast enough.

Soon, she was at the outskirts of the park and gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Cress flinched as she gingerly closed the last button on the high collar of her dress. If she placed her short, wavy hair right and maybe used one of her colourful scarves, then hopefully no one would notice the glaring bruises on her neck. She was sure she could hide them from the people at the baby party but from Thorne? He would surely notice. If not the bruises then her blood-shot eyes, her careful movements, and scratchy voice.

Cress healed faster than the average person but it would still take at least two days until she recovered from her fight with Ran. Even hacking into the police's database and falsifying their findings ever so slightly had zapped her of more strength than usual. She dreaded keeping up with the police's progress for the weeks to come but she had made that promise to Wolf and she would try her best to ensure that no one would ever find out who the omega had been.

Right now, she would give anything to crawl into bed and just rest and let the painkillers she had taken work their magic. But she couldn't get out of the baby shower without raising questions from Thorne.

"Cress? Are you ready?" Thorne called from down the hallway.

Her throat ached with the effort it took to raise her voice. "Just a minute."

"What?"

Cress huffed in annoyance. Talking in her normal voice already hurt, yelling was out of the question. She didn't answer a second time, instead she looked around for a scarf in one of her drawers.

The door to the bedroom opened behind her and Thorne's head popped in. "Hey, are you ready to go?"

Tired and injured, Cress snapped. "I told you I would be there in a minute!" The sharp tone pained her damaged vocal cords and Cress dissolved into a coughing fit. Every cough shook her, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. It took her a few moments to calm down and only then did she notice Thorne rubbing circles around her back. It was a futile gesture but Cress was too weak to fight it.

When it was over, Thorne took her in his arms and Cress allowed herself to lean against him.

"Is everything alright? Are you sick?" She could hear the worry in his voice as his hand felt her forehead. "No fever, that's good."

"I'm fine. Just got something stuck down my throat," she said sharply. Before he could question her further, she turned around and grabbed the scarf, wrapping the thin fabric skillfully around her neck to hide her bruises. The colourful floral print toned down the severity of the dress, giving it a much more casual look. She had only picked the dress because of its high-collar, though it was probably a bit formal for a baby shower.

When she caught a glance of Thorne in the mirror, he looked uncomfortably at everything but her, his hand scratching at the back of his neck. Cress felt a flicker of regret. He had done nothing wrong but she was using every bit of energy just to keep it together.

Still, she couldn't behave like that at the baby shower. She needed to push through the pain. Cress plastered a smile on her face and turned to Thorne. "I'm feeling better now. We should hurry or we're going to be late."

Thorne eyed her for a few seconds but eventually nodded. If he wasn't convinced by her sudden change, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he smiled too and together, they left.

"Are you crazy, man?" Anthony hardly welcomed Cress and Thorne, too distracted by the huge gift basket Thorne was holding with some difficulty. "Did you buy the whole store? Look at this, it's too big to fit through the door!"

"Har-di-har," Thorne huffed but struggled with the weight. "Now move out of the way so I can set it down."

Anthony moved aside but Thorne still needed to turn the basket so it would fit through the door. Maybe they had overdone it just a bit with the gifts, Cress thought.

"Really, this is way too much, Cress. You shouldn't have bought so many things." Anthony hugged her while Thorne walked into the living room where he was greeted from the other guests. Cress could hear them make room for him and help him set up the basket.

"Oh, you know how it is. When we were at the store, there were so many beautiful things and well, we couldn't resist. We just got excited, I guess."

"Okay, well, thank you then." He helped her out of her jacket but Cress made sure to keep her scarf on. "Carina is upstairs feeding the baby but she should be down soon. Can I offer you something? No alcohol"—He looked dismayed at that—"but we have non-alcoholic beer, sodas, and juices. We've got that grape juice you like, I'll get you a glass."

Cress followed him into the living room, a pit forming in her stomach. Meeting new people and starting conversations was difficult for her. She had gained some confidence since she got her superpowers, but it didn't often carry over to her normal life as Cress. She was glad that Thorne was with her. He had no trouble talking to anyone who crossed his path.

Already, he was joking when she entered the room and Cress was relieved to see a few familiar faces - well, except for Blakely who was just done hugging Thorne and did her best to give Cress a fake smile.

Cress could have really done without that familiar face.

"Did you rob the store, Thorne?" Chien cackled. "Hey, Cress." He waved a hand which held a fork but didn't make any attempts to stand up. Instead he shoveled potato salad into his mouth, engrossed with the food.

Thorne's hand found her lower back, a bit more at ease now. Their walk to the Kennards had been short but tense. "Why does everyone say it's too big? It's perfectly sized. Ask Cress, the lady at the store assured us it was a fairly common size for a gift basket."

"Did you ever consider she just wanted to sell you that huge-ass gift basket?"

"Language, Chien," Blakely hissed, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, please, Blakely, where are we, in pre-school?" Anthony entered, carrying a glass with grape juice for Cress and offered a non-alcoholic beer to Thorne with shrug.

Thorne raised an eyebrow. "Judging from the choice of beverages, it certainly feels like it." He still took a few sips.

Anthony sent him an amused glare. "I was told in no uncertain terms that if Carina couldn't have any alcohol, neither could anyone else. And believe me, you don't want to break the rules Carina set up." He turned to Cress. "I can't wait for you to see my boy. Be prepared to meet the fattest baby ever."

Cress was unsure if he was joking but Blakely chimed in. "Oh, that is not true, Anthony! How can you say that? He is the most beautiful baby. Such a darling. I saw him at the hospital and he was just the cutest. Did you already see him, Thorne?"

"Unfortunately, I was a bit busy. We both were." He gave Cress's hip a squeeze and while she usually delighted in his touch (and not-so-subtle way of telling Blakely to back off), he was dangerously close to her bruised hip. She adjusted herself slightly in his arms.

Blakely pursed her lips when she saw where Thorne's hand was. "Well, I just had to come as soon as possible and see him. I'm never too busy for my friends."

"Thank you, Blakely," Anthony said amiably. He turned to Cress and Thorne. "I'm a really bad host. Let me hit you up with some food ... before you meet my fat baby."

They followed him into the kitchen, greeting Rob and Ryan as they made their way into the living room with plates full of food. They ran into a woman Cress didn't know but who introduced herself as Kate Fallow. Nice, if quiet, Cress took an instant liking to her. She had brought puff pastries and a cake, which made Cress realize that she had forgotten the brownies she had intended to bring. She hoped the gift basket was enough to hide the fact that Cress and Thorne forgot to bring anything edible.

"As you know, whatever you need just take it. The fridge is yours."

"Thanks Anthony." Thorne filled a plate for himself and helped Cress with hers. "So, how is it being a dad? Kid keeping you up at night?" He asked, chewing on a piece of bread.

"Everything's fine. Who needs sleep, right?" Anthony joked.

"Do you have a name for him yet?" Cress asked. So far, she hadn't heard anyone calling the baby by name (and 'fat baby' certainly didn't count). And by now he was almost two weeks old.

Anthony grabbed a few chips, munching thoughtfully. "No, not yet. Carina and I had a few ideas and I had some really cool names picked out for him. Like Jax. Dexter. Or Kace. Just imagine: 'Kace Kennard, FBI'," he declared in a deep voice. "Something really cool, you know?"

Thorne nodded approvingly which worried Cress.

"But then he popped out and as I said, it's like a big blob. And he just doesn't look like a cool action hero. More like Carina's uncle Ainsley who was an accountant."

"But ... he won't always look like a ... big blob," Cress said in a hushed voice as if she was scared the baby could hear her. "You can't go by how he looks now."

"Yeah but really, he does look like her uncle. I held some glasses to his face and it's scary. Like a tiny fat accountant who wants me to pay my bills." He chuckled good-naturedly. "Anyway, so the cool names are out of the question. And really, you'll agree with me when you see him. He needs something really old and weird. Like ... Norwood. Or Ainsley, like Carina's uncle. Maybe even Quincy." He shuddered. "Or Carswell."

Thorne, who had just taken a sip of his beer, broke into a coughing fit.

"Woah, buddy!" Both Anthony and Cress hit on Thorne's back to help stabilize him. "You okay?"

"I'm... fine," Thorne coughed a last time. He wiped at his eyes, his whole face red. "Just got something stuck down my throat."

Cress rubbed soothingly on Thorne's back, a bit taken aback. Thorne always was very smooth and in control. With his red cheeks and wet eyes, she almost didn't recognise him. She knew he didn't like looking anything less than impeccable, so she steered Anthony's attention back to the topic at hand.

"I don't know. I don't think Carswell is too bad." Both men looked at her aghast. Thorne's eyes held a hint of suspicion that made her laugh. "Seriously! I mean, Quincy or Ainsley aren't great, and Norwood is just terrible. Seriously, Anthony, you can't do that to your child." She shrugged. "But Carswell is kinda hot."

"Oooh, careful, Thorne." Anthony cackled. "Or your wife is running off with the first Carswell that comes her way," he nudged Thorne who still looked at her in disbelief ... and was it wonder she detected? But then the door bell rang and Anthony excused himself. "Let's see who's here. If it's a Carswell, should I send him straight your way, Cress?"

Cress rolled her eyes but Anthony had already gone to greet the new guests. She focused on her food, nibbling on some puff pastry Kate had prepared. It was deliciously filled and Cress made a note to ask her for the recipe. She hardly noticed that Thorne hadn't touched his plate. He leaned casually against the kitchen counter but the way he stared at her intensely belied his indifferent body language.

"So ... Carswell, huh."

"Oh, not you too. What? It's a good name. I like it." She had no idea why they were so set against Carswell. It wasn't a name she was familiar with (she certainly didn't know any Carswells not even back when she had studied in England) but it had a nice ring to it.

Thorne leaned forward. "I didn't know that you had a thing for it, that's all." His mouth was curved in his familiar easy smile but his blue eyes had an expression she couldn't read. "Want to call me Carswell tonight?"

Cress sputtered. "Don't be weird. Why are you so hung-up on it? Because I said I like the name Carswell?" She bumped her hip against him, teasing him, "Are you jealous?"

"Of Carswell? Nah. Who would ever be jealous of a guy named Carswell?"

Cress raised her eyebrow in question but Thorne had already started to carry his plate and drink into the living room. Not in the mood to dissect Thorne's weird behaviour, she followed him.

"Oh, he's so cute, Carina," Blakely cooed, holding the baby. "You should pick a name soon."

"I know," Carina agreed with a pointed look at Anthony. "We just can't agree on the same name."

"Cress is voting for Carswell," Anthony announced with a smirk.

Usually, Cress liked Anthony and his easy humour, but today her body ached and she was exhausted, so she only had weak smile for him. She tried her best to appear okay even though shewanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep for days.

"Ew, Cress," Blakely admonished, her pretty face in a sneer. "You can't be serious, Carswell is a horrible name! Only ugly, stuffy nerds are called Carswell."

If Cress had only a weak smile for Anthony, she had even less than that for Blakely. There was a tense silence (except for an uncomfortable cough from Thorne) for a few seconds before Anthony chimed in, "Yeah, well, we can't call him 'the fat baby' forever. We would appreciate some suggestions. The one with the best name gets an actual alcoholic drink."

Rob, Ryan and Chien cheered, "Count us in," before discussing possible baby names between them.

Carina pursed her lips. "Stop calling him the fat baby. He isn't fat."

"Sure thing, darling."

"Don't 'darling' me. He isn't fat! And don't think I don't know you're saying he looks like my uncle to everyone. It's not true! Look down at your own belly and maybe consider he might just look like you," she told him with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Yep, you're absolutely right, dar—Carina." But as soon as Carina moved on to a discussion with Blakely about if the baby's name should start with 'K' like their surname. Anthony whispered conspiratorially to Cress and Thorne. "You know, I was actually quite skinny growing up but Carina as a baby? Her family put her in a watermelon costume for her first Halloween and placed her next to a real watermelon. Even the watermelon looked slim. If you don't believe me, I have the photos to prove it."

"What photos do you have?" Carina asked, her attention again on her husband.

"Just of our baby right after birth. Precious memories." He winked at Cress and Thorne. "Okay, who wants to hold the baby next?"

"I think Thorne should hold him. I'm sure he's  _amazing_ with kids."

It took a lot for Cress not to snap at Blakely who looked adoringly at Thorne as if Cress wasn't there. She usually didn't say anything when Blakely hit on Thorne, ignoring the fact that he and Cress were married. She felt uncomfortable calling Blakely out and every time, Thorne was quick to do something that made it clear whom he was in love with. Still, Blakely's shameless behaviour grated on her nerves, today moreso than usual.

Beside her, Thorne stood up, puffing out his chest. "I'll let you know, Blakely, that I'm amazing with everything and everyone. Just ask my wife. Right, Cress?"

Cress tipped her chin as if in thought. "You have your moments."

Everyone laughed and Thorne held a hand to his chest in mock-hurt. "Ouch, that hurt," earning him another round of laughter - from everyone but Blakely who just glowered in her corner of the couch.

Something about Thorne's words gave Cress pause. She could swear she had heard them before but couldn't place where. Before she could try and figure it out Thorne sat down next to Blakely (who took the opportunity to scoot way too close for Cress's liking). He gingerly took the baby in his arms.

"Careful with his head," Carina said, as if anyone would drop the baby the minute it was out of her arms.

" _Careful_ is my middle name. Right after  _suave_ and  _daring_ ," Thorne answered but didn't take his eyes off the bundle in his arms. "Well, hello there, little fellow."

He continued to babble at the child. It was too young to do much really, but he had stopped fussing and was staring up at Thorne with big eyes.

There must have been an odd expression on her face because Kate next to her leaned over to whisper, "Everything alright?"

Cress nodded but before she could say anything Chien answered for her. "Probably wants to have a baby now that she's seeing this one. She's got that look. Classic baby eyes. Run, Thorne." Chien snickered but hardly anyone else chimed in.

"That's not—," Cress started but already Kate had spoken up.

"Not every woman is just waiting to get pregnant. It's ignorant to say that."

Cress was surprised by Kate's words. She hadn't raised her voice at all but even so, her words carried through the room. But when all attention was on her, she hid her face behind some thick brown strands of hair.

Chien huffed. "Don't believe me? I've got four sisters and been to plenty baby showers. I know baby eyes when I see them."

Rob and another girl names Elia joined in the argument but it was Blakely who could be heard the clearest. "Stop it, Chien. They're too young to even think about kids yet."

That statement was met with some amusement from the guests. Thorne continued to gently cradle the bundle in his arms but Cress could see the sudden tenseness in his jaw.

Carina laughed. "Blakely, Cress and Thorne have been married for a year now. And Cress, you're what, one year younger than me?"

"I'm twenty-two, yes."

That didn't seem to satisfy Blakely at all. "Yes, but you and Anthony have been together for five years now. Thorne and Cress basically met weeks before they got married. If Cress hadn't needed the papers to get—"

"Careful, Blakely." Though his tone was soft, Thorne's voice cut through the room. He hadn't taken his eyes off the baby but his warning to Blakely was clear.

There was a short uncomfortable silence. Easy-going as he usually was, it was almost impossible to make Thorne truly angry. Even in situations where others would be mad, or at least, annoyed, he kept his composure. Cress knew he disliked open confrontation, preferring to smooth over any conflict with a joke - which bothered her like crazy during a fight. But it only confirmed how serious Thorne was now when Blakely questioned the relationship between him and Cress and it warmed Cress to the core.

"I didn't mean, you know ... I just wanted to say—" Blakely sputtered but Thorne interrupted her smoothly by talking to the baby again.

"What is it, Mr. Kennard Jr.? You have urgent business to discuss with your mother? I certainly will refer you to her right this second." He offered Carina the baby who cradled it happily, only too glad to have her son back. Until...

"Oh, who's got a full smelly diaper?" She excused herself, though not without a glare at Thorne. "I thought you were so cute just now but you just wanted me to take care of the diaper, right?"

Thorne winked at her. "Yep. But you thought I was cute and that's all that matters."

The tension was broken and everyone started to chat while Carina took care of the baby. Cress played with the necklace Thorne had given her, lost in thought.

She knew without a doubt that she had no baby eyes, as Chien called it. Blakely was right about how quickly Thorne and Cress had gotten married and they were still navigating being together. But it had been the right decision, one that shouldn't be questioned by anyone, least of all Blakely.

No, Cress wasn't worried about having baby eyes. She was worried about  _Thorne_ having them.

Maybe not now but soon. He was a normal guy, with a normal job and as far as he knew, they both led a very normal life. He didn't know about his wife's double-life, the dangers she was getting herself into just to be a hero worthy of her powers.

A mediocre hero at best.

It wasn't fair to Thorne, the secrets she was keeping from him. Not to mention that if anyone were to find out who Satellite truly was they would try to find her, hurt her and, in the process, find Thorne and hurt him too. He was in as much danger as she was, and he didn't even know about it. He had no way to defend himself.

But as Satellite, she also couldn't plan for a normal life that included children. How could she be a superhero and a mom? Being a superhero and a wife was already difficult enough.

For now, she knew the topic of children wasn't on the table. But who knew how long that would last?

"You were quiet tonight." It was the first thing Thorne had said since they arrived at home. It might have to do with Cress snapping at him sharply for the better part of the last half an hour, so he had left her mostly alone at the Kennards. Which had been exactly what she had wanted then. "Everything alright?"

"Mhm-hm." Weary to the bone, Cress was barely holding herself up. Every bit of strength had left her and she wanted nothing more than to fall into bed but now she realised that changing into her pyjamas would require even more excuses so he wouldn't spot the marks on her throat. She had no choice, she had to pretend to be sick. "I just don't feel very well." Her voice cracked a bit which sold her lie even better.

Thorne, who had carefully kept his distance from her tonight, slowly stepped closer, the slightest hint relief washing over his face. "I thought so. You should have stayed at home, resting."

But when he tried to reach out to her, Cress evaded his touch, grabbed her pajamas from her side of the bed and made her way to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Slowly, she changed clothes, every muscle in her body aching. She left the scarf on, so it might look like she had a sore throat. Eyes already drooping, she just stumbled out of the bathroom. Thorne wasn't in their bedroom anymore Cress noticed as she let herself fall into bed, her body overtaken by exhaustion.

There was no way of knowing how long she had slept but suddenly she was aware of someone softly brushing hair from her face. It was a soothing touch.

Cress cracked an eye open. Thorne sat on her side of the bed, but it was dark so she only saw his shadow. "I didn't want to wake you."

Making sure that the scarf was still hiding her bruises, Cress sat up groggily. "What time is it?"

"Half past twelve."

But Cress had already looked up the time in her mind. She also pulled up the documents on the omega, making sure to alter their DNA results slightly so they wouldn't match with whoever Ran had been before. She also checked her alert on Captain who had the most successful raid in New York so far while she had been occupied with the wolf mutant. Two museums, two antique shops and one jewellery store.

Cress rubbed her eyes. "Why are you still up?"

It wasn't unusual for either of them to stay up late but she had expected him to be asleep next to her already. Or maybe he had left to have some peace and quiet. Cress had treated him badly today, snapping at him for no reason. She wouldn't blame him if he stayed in the living room, watching TV so he could avoid another snappy remark by her.

But Thorne's voice was kind when he replied, "I just wanted to check in on you. And I went and bought a few things. Chicken broth, some fruit, tissues, a few meds. Stuff like that. Whatever you might need tomorrow to get better soon."

And just like that, Cress burst into tears.

Heavy sobs shook her body that was still hurting. Thick, hot tears streamed down her face, her throat burning with every shaken breath.

The events of the day came crashing down in one second, the fight against the wolf mutant, the panic of almost dying at his hands, the bruises on her body, the baby shower where she had to keep up appearances, Blakely, Captain whom she just couldn't stop.

But more than anything, she felt so ashamed for the way she had treated Thorne today. And he still went and bought anything one could need to treat a cold. Because he thought she was sick - one of the many lies Cress had told him over the last year and a half.

Strong arms embraced her, drawing her close to Thorne's warmth. He rocked her gently, kissing the top of her head. He didn't say anything, didn't ask, just held her in his arms. Cress smelled the fresh scent of fabric softener and Thorne's skin, warm and familiar.

He deserved so much better than her.

A wife who wasn't lying to him at every point and turn at least. And for what? For proving herself to be a mediocre superhero with lame powers? If she really made a difference, if she could catch Captain and actually defeat any bad guy that came her way it would make it worth it, or at least understandable. But as it was?

Her sobs quietened down to mere sniffles but neither Cress nor Thorne moved.

"I'm sorry, Thorne."

"For what?"

Her fingers played with the soft hair at the back of Thorne's neck. "I was mean to you today. Horrible, really." She knew that was only half the truth, but it was all she could offer to him.

Thorne laughed, his stubble tickling her ear. "Yeah, you were."

"Hey!" Cress moved away from him a little, rubbing her tears away. "You weren't supposed to agree."

"Just kidding." He pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "You weren't horrible but I knew something was off. I'm just glad you weren't mad at me for some reason."

Cress huffed but didn't say anything. On the night cabinet she spotted a box of tissues, probably brought by Thorne. She took one and blew her nose, rolling her eyes when Thorne made a face.

"Cress?"

"Hm?" She crumpled the tissue and threw it somewhere. She was sick, she was allowed to be a bit messy. And she was allowed to cuddle close to her husband as much as he wanted, not caring about leaving unladylike fluids on his shirt.

"I just wondered ... was there anything else?"

"What do you mean?"

She could feel his fingers trail the length of her spine. "Just ... are you just cranky—"

"Not cranky," Cress pouted playfully.

"Noted. Are you just not as charmingly cute as usual because of your cold? Or is anything else the matter?"

Cress thought to her fight with the wolf mutant, her unsuccessful ways of dealing with Captain and her generally less than impressive superhero career. Cress decided this would be her last lie. "No. Nothing's the matter."

And it would be, she swore to herself. She was done being a superhero. No more lies, no more patrolling at odd hours, no more fights she would lose or futile attempts to get her father's research papers back from Captain.

No more Satellite.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up the next morning, Cress felt a little bit better. Her throat didn't hurt as much anymore and the bruises and cuts the wolf mutant had given her were slowly healing. Her body still felt like it had been through a mincer but Cress looked forward to spending the day in bed. Even if most of it would be spent sleeping.

She hugged herself closer into the blanket when Thorne popped his head into the doorway. "Oh, you're up. Good." Before Cress could reply, he left and she heard him clanking through the kitchen. Cress hid herself under the blanket, allowing herself a few more precious moments of laziness.

She heard the door open again and, peeking through a hole in the blanket, she saw him carrying a tray.

"Breakfast is served. Canned chicken broth, piping hot lemon water, and delicious decongestants capsules for dessert." He sat the tray on her nightstand. "All made with an extra helping of love." A hand snaked under the covers, finding her shoulder, then her head. "Ah, there you are."

Cress sat up. Realistically, she knew that she had no need for any of the things Thorne brought but it was too sweet a gesture to pass up. "Thank you."

Thorne handed her the cup with the hot lemon water. "You look better today."

"I feel better too."

"You don't have an assignment today, right?"

Cress blew on the hot beverage to cool it down. "Nope, nothing on the agenda today. I have one tomorrow though."

To be as flexible as possible in her superhero duties, Cress was working as an independent IT consultant. Which made sense given her powers. Various companies and private households commissioned her, rather than her working for one company on a regular basis. That way she could pick her jobs making sudden disappearances or late night shifts easier to explain.

At least, that's how she had done it since she arrived in the US. Now that she left her double-life as Satellite behind, she might as well start working for a company. A steady job with co-workers and regular shifts might be just what she needed.

Or she could work in the field she had her degree in. But as soon as she thought it, Cress knew that wouldn't be possible. She couldn't use her diploma where her real name was printed. She might be able to forge papers like she did when she married Thorne but it was too risky.

Thorne had only known her as Cress Erland, not as Crescent Moon Darnel.

It had been a split decision not to give him her real name. The less people who knew that she was related to Dr. Sage Darnel, the less people would be able to make the connection of whose DNA he had used to base his research on the superhumans on.

The papers that Captain had stolen.

She couldn't dwell on that though. She had tried for over a year to get her father's papers back and failed. Once she could find out whom Captain sold them too, maybe then she could get them back.

For now, Satellite's fight against Captain was over. And Crescent Moon Darnel was to remain Cress Smith.

Thorne's hand found one frizzy strand of her hair and smoothed it back. "See how you feel first. You need to rest. If you don't feel better, can you reschedule?"

"I guess." The hot lemon water might not be the best remedy for her bruised throat, as it scratched and hurt from the few sips she tried. She switched to the chicken broth. "Do you have to meet a client today?"

He looked conflicted. "Not if you need me."

Cress waved his concerns away. "Nah. I'll be sleeping for most of the day. And I'm perfectly cared for," she told him, pointing to the tray. "I might move to the living room and watch some TV though."

Thorne snapped his fingers. "A-ha! See if we got a TV in the bedroom like I said, you wouldn't have to move!"

She glared at him. "No TV in the bedroom."

It was a point they had discussed several times over the last year. Thorne apparently liked having his morning coffee in bed and watching some news on the stock market, instead of looking it up on his phone. For Cress, whose brain was always buzzing with electronic and digital waves, even if she tuned them out, she preferred not adding to it with a TV in close proximity of where she slept. Especially since her powers had the side effect of affecting her sleep. Cress never really knew if she was dreaming or if some waves were infiltrating her brain. There was no way she could tell Thorne about that though.

"Okay, okay." Thorne held up his hands in defeat. "Then let's get you to the living room."

* * *

Three hours later, Cress had zapped her way through several talk shows, two game shows, one daily soap, three documentaries and an old episode of some TV show she liked as a kid. Too lazy to even hold the controller while she was comfortably lying on the couch, Cress just used her powers to switch channels.

She said she would stop being Satellite, not stop using her powers after all.

Now, she felt woozy from all the TV (and the painkillers she had taken probably). Americans had way too many programs. And it seemed like more often than not, there was something related to the superhumans. Cress had stopped watching them awhile ago as they were often wrong, ridiculous or mean (though she definitely had a bookmark on the articles _Why Satellite is the best superhero_ , _Thesuperhero nerds love: Satellite_ , and the ones where she ranked pretty high on one list or another).

The newest idea was that the superhumans were not humans at all but aliens from the moon whose powers were only activated after the last Lunar eclipse. Strangely, most people, even if they didn't agree with the idea itself, had taken to the new name given to the superhumans - Lunars. Some even called for a special organisation where the superhumans, who fought crime banded together: The Lunar League. With so many superheroes spread around the globe, Cress had no idea how this could work but it wasn't her concern anymore. It might still be an interesting idea for the other superheroes.

When the news switched to Captain's latest raid and what he stole, she turned the TV off, feeling the tug of a bad conscience at letting Captain roaming unsupervised now that she had made the decision not to be Satellite anymore. She snuggled herself deeper into the covers of her blanket, about to doze off and not thinking about it further when Thorne came into the room from the kitchen and sat on the armrest of the couch. "You need anything?"

A sweet question if he hadn't come in every twenty minutes asking the very same thing. Cress almost groaned but she didn't want to snap at him when he tried to be sweet. "No, Thorne, I'm good. Just trying to get a bit of sleep." She looked up at him, thinking how to phrase her next words so they wouldn't come off as rude. "I thought you wanted to meet a client?"

"Only if you really don't need me?"

Another question he had asked her just as much. "No, I'm really good. Look." Cress curled herself into the blanket, perfectly rolled up in it up to her nose. "See, I'm cozy and sleepy and won't need anything but rest," she muffled through the blanket.

When she looked up at Thorne, the corners of his lips were lifted up in amusement. "Okay, okay. I get it. You want me gone. The meeting is in three hours. Think you can manage that long with me around?"

Cress yawned. "Just so."

"Very gracious of you."

"Hm-mhm." She felt him softly brush her forehead before he left.

She must have dozed off for a bit but then she heard a sweet melody. Popping an eye open, she saw Thorne winding up a small music box. It was exquisitely crafted in what looked liked gold and seemed very old. Cress's body felt too heavy to sit up properly but she craned her neck as Thorne placed the music box on the couch table. Cress listened to the melody, almost like a lullaby. "This is so beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"It's for the client I'll meet today. It's one of the objects I had to acquire for him." Wringing his hands when he said it, Thorne looked almost nervous though Cress couldn't tell why. "I thought you'd like to listen to it for awhile until you're asleep ..." He trailed off.

Cress knew that Thorne's job involved acquiring lots of things. It had started with finding replacement parts for an old car of his and then he made a little business out of it. He knew how to network, had a way to find obscure, rare things. Especially books which Cress loved because it sounded so romantic to find rare first editions. She also knew that he also dealt in antiques, so this music box was no surprise for her.

Still, it was rare that she saw the things he acquired, preferring to keep them safe (depending on their size) in a vault or storage room he rented rather than their apartment.

Thorne glanced at her as he wound the music box up one more time."I'll let you sleep now."

He left and the melody started again, the song unfamiliar but there was something soothing about it and her lids drooped once more. She fell asleep with the melody playing in the background.

* * *

Weeks passed and Cress had to admit that not being Satellite from one day to the other was harder than she would have thought. She had to learn not to react to every siren, every police call or every time Captain stole another rare or expensive object. It made every nerve in her body itch with the need to do something—anything.

But it got easier with time and Cress allowed herself to make some new plans. She and Thorne had met each other while travelling and New York was not necessarily meant to be a permanent place for them. They had wanted to settle down and get a feel for being married. Or just being together actually. She knew they did it kind of backwards but it had worked out well for them so far, no matter what people like Blakely might think.

Blakely, who was currently sharing a table with her, Thorne, Anthony, Carina holding baby Charlie (he finally got a name, Cress had been happy to learn), Shan and Kate. They were in a small coffee shop Shan worked for which Thorne looked less happy about. He had finished off his cake and coffee and was now inspecting the baby strollers and squealing children around them with suspicion.

Cress snickered. So much for 'baby eyes'.

"Guys, sorry, but how did we get from bars, cocktails, and beer pong to coffee shops, vegan brownies—"A kid crawled next to their table, kicking at Thorne's chair"—and annoying children."

"They're not annoying," Carina cried. "They are all precious. Aren't they, Charlie?" A woman hurried to them, picking up the child from the ground when it started to scream and kick against his mother. Even Carina looked dismayed.

Thorne glared at Carina but waited until the mother and her screaming child were out of earshot. "Precious, huh? Face it Carina, kids suck." He then leaned forward, stroking Charlie's belly, making the baby squeal happily. "Except you, you delightful little pumpkin."

"Aww," the girls cooed which seemed to please Thorne, Cress noticed with an eyeroll. Anthony just shook his head, mouthing 'sucker' at him. When Anthony noticed Carina's glare he pretended to be very interested in his coffee cup.

"I was never a fan of bars and beer pong," Kate admitted, steering the conversation back to what Thorne had said.

"Big surprise there," Blakely sneered under her breath but caught herself when everyone turned to her. "I mean, you're obviously not the partying type."

Finding Blakely's comment thoroughly rude, Cress looked over to Kate but she just shrugged. "No, never have been. I don't like getting drunk just so I don't feel left out."

"No one should be forced to drink," Thorne agreed with a smile at Kate. "Still, nothing wrong with a party and a few drinks from time to time. But okay, no party. But do we really need to hang out at—" he glanced at the menu, grimacing"— _Mugs, Rugs & Hugs_?"

"It's a family-friendly business, Thorne. Not every place is happy to have families with small children at their place," Carina reminded him, cradling Charlie as if to remind Thorne of their newest addition to the group.

"We're not just for families," Shan reminded Carina curtly. Cress had the feeling that this purely family-friendly business wasn't an image that sat right with Shan. "I'll let you know that we're a super hip place. We had a few reporters and bloggers come here to interview us and take photos. Our purple cheesecake is all over Instagram." She raised an eyebrow at Thorne, daring him to disagree with her.

"I know, I know." Looking over the menu once more, he suddenly perked up and found Cress's knee under the table, stroking the bare skin. She wasn't quite sure if he only craved the touch or enjoyed being a bit more daring in view of the parents and children around them. Not that Cress cared about it either way as she just enjoyed the caress. "I didn't mean to insult the fanciness that is _Mugs, Rugs & Hugs_." Anthony snickered, earning him a reproachful glare from both Shan and Carina. Thorne took the opportunity to draw small circles on Cress's skin, making her shudder. Thorne continued unperturbed. "But okay, what are everyone's plans for the weekend then? Anything where we could hang out together?"

"Oh, there's a reading by Joel Kimbrough. We talked about his books, I know you read them too." Kate said excitedly to Thorne.

"Who?" Cress asked.

"You don't know him?" Cress shook her head but she could tell that Blakely, Carina, Anthony and Shan apparently didn't know the author either. It would only take Cress a few seconds to look him up in her mind but there was a proud glint in Thorne's eyes. "Huh, you usually know everything. He's a science fiction author, known for his space adventures."

Kate nodded. "There are so many layers to his stories and he will take questions! It's rare that he goes to readings these days so I can't wait. I've prepared a few questions in advance," she whispered as if sharing a secret.

No one else looked enthusiastic about it though. Blakely, at least, managed to keep any comments to herself this time.

Shan took a sip of her cappuccino. "I doubt that's for me. I never liked reading." She laughed at Kate's horrified gasp. "What, it's true. Books just bore me so quickly. Anyway, I talked to this hot guy online and he asked if we could meet this weekend. He's a street artist and wants to take me to his friend's art gallery. They're going show some light installations about, oh, I don't know. The relationship between spiritualism, consumerism and technology or something. I don't remember and really, isn't it all the same? Originality is dead. But he's super cute so whatever." She flipped her hair, making her pretty curls bounce. "Not sure we'll be staying long but you can come along if you want?"

The corners of Thorne's mouth dropped in displeasure. "An art gallery? Might as well go the reading." He sent an apologetic smile at Kate. "Sorry, Kate, that wasn't what I meant. Just that this isn't quite what I was looking for this weekend."

"I understand," Kate said curtly. "So, you don't want me to get your copy of _Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon_ signed then?"

"Oh." He smiled sheepishly. "No, that would be nice actually. Thank you, Kate."

Cress looked up at Thorne. " _Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon_?" She asked, amused by the title. She hadn't taken Thorne for someone who was an ardent fan of what sounded like pulp magazines.

"They're really good." He shrugged but she could see the slight blush on his neck. "And as Kate said, Kimbrough writes pretty deep stuff. His works often employ the vast emptiness of space as a symbol of loneliness and the battles each of us face against our own personal demons. In the end, his protagonists overcome their feelings of insecurity only after they accept the help of an unlikely assistant, such as an android or an alien or"—his mouth quirked to one side—"pretty girl who happens to be a skilled marksman when she’s handed a high-powered ray gun," he added with another stroke of Cress's knee, up the inside of her thigh.

By now, Cress had become suspicious of Thorne's affections. It wasn't as if Thorne wasn't against PDA per se but this was more than he usual did, especially since they were surrounded by their friends. And he had that sneaky grin on his face as if he was the only one in on a secret but Cress doubted anyone else noticed.

Kate was talking about the plot of _Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon_ and Thorne's hand travelled higher up Cress's skirt to the point Cress had to squeeze her thighs together, effectively trapping Thorne's hand between them. "Stop it," she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

Thorne peered at her, all innocent. "I can't help it. I'm just following the rules of this fine establishment." At Cress's curious glance, he slid the menu over to her.

Cress read it over, slowly starting to grin. Of course, he would get ideas from that.

 _Hugs, Mugs & Rugs_ apparently prided itself on being a place for more than just coffee (mugs) and comfort (rugs). They invited you to mingle with the other guests, meet new people, exchanging hugs or—as they phrased it—"get a feel of your neighbour. Touch them, hold them, share the love."

Snorting, Cress glanced at the hand between her knees. One thumb had escaped her grasp and resumed stroking her skin in circling motions. "That's not a hug though," she said matter-of-factly.

Thorne pretended to be surprised. "No? Hm, must be doing something wrong then. Still, I'm pretty sure I got the 'getting a feel of your neighbour'-part _just_ right." He bit his lip, obviously pleased by his cleverness, making Cress giggle.

"And what are you two doing?" Shan asked them with suspicion.

"Just sharing the love like your coffee shop wants us to do." Thorne explained proudly, but his hands slipped into more safer regions.

"Gross. That's not what it's about. You can play footsie at home." She looked at Carina. "How long does this newlywed phase last?"

It was Anthony who answered though. "Until you're having a kid," he muttered. When that earned him a round of raised eyebrows, he quickly backtracked. "Because then, the best part is about to start! Really, if I had known what having a child would mean, I would have planned for one much sooner. I should have gotten her pregnant at our wedding— _no_ , right when I met Carina-bam! Instant family happiness." He pressed a quick kiss to his son's head but kept his eyes on Carina, gauging her reaction. "Love you?"

Carina bit the inside of her cheek. "You better."

Thorne steered the conversation to the topic at hand. "Okay, so we have a book reading, an art gallery ... Carina, Anthony? Blakely? Any plans? Please?"

Carina and Anthony looked apologetic and Cress doubted they had anything planned. The couple had made themselves rare after the birth of Charlie, rather having people over than going out. That only left Blakely who seemed ecstatic that the spotlight was finally on her.

"I'll accompany Rob and Ryan to a wine tasting. I mean he does them all the time since he's a sommelier but this time it's way cooler. One of Ryan's celebrity friends has their own vineyard and is sells his own wine. And Rob told me there is always someone famous participating. Last time, there had been Gil, the singer, and this time the rumour is that Iko is coming. She's here for fashion week! Can you imagine me meeting her?!" There was an excited pitch in Blakely's voice, making it hard to follow her.

Thorne groaned. "Guys, seriously? What's going on? We can't spend our weekends like posh old people. We're young, we should do something ... _anything_ that is actual fun." He looked accusatorily at the group. "You make me feel old."

"You are the oldest one," Anthony pointed out.

Thorne made an indignant sound. "I'm twenty-six." He turned to Cress. "We need new friends, Cress."

Cress just shook her head at Thorne while he defended himself to the group. Still, she appreciated his efforts to plan a fun weekend with friends. He hadn't said as much but she could tell. Aside from a few times they met their neighbours Carina and Anthony and their friends and co-workers, Cress hadn't really managed to find friends of her own. Thorne, for his outgoing nature, had also only just moved to New York a few weeks before they met and didn't have any other contacts besides their neighbours either.

The first few weeks after Cress moved to the US, she and Thorne were only involved with each other. He had shown her around, trying to give her the full American experience (her favourite had been a drive-in cinema which she knew from the movies and always wanted to visit—it ended up being more about making-out rather than the movie but Cress had hardly been one to complain about that). And they still loved spending time together but to really settle down and start a life in New York, Cress knew that in the long run, she needed friends and a more steady job.

A normal life.

Cress hoped that things were about to change now. With her double-life as Satellite behind her, Cress had more time and a less erratic schedule. Before, she had always had to make sure to come up with excuses to Thorne if she were late for a date or had to leave without so much as a hurried explanation. It had been easy to blame it on her job—the odd hours, the spontaneous calls she had to answer and the disappearance stunts she had to pull.

Since Thorne had learned that she had a free weekend, he had exactly two plans: Some fun activity with friends on Saturday and, as he called it, "sexy times" for just the two of them on Sunday.

Seemed like so far, their plans for Saturday didn't work out the way they had anticipated. Cress herself wasn't opposed to going to a book reading, or an art gallery, or even the wine tasting but Thorne was right—it all sounded very fancy. And kinda stuffy.

"Okay, okay." Thorne held up his hands in defeat. "You're all super fun people with exciting lives. The Rolling Stones would be jealous." He sighed. "I was just hoping for something more casual."

"We can plan for something more casual next weekend?" Anthony offered. "Poker night with the guys?"

"Ah, so the casual weekend plans are just for the guys?" Carina challenged.

Anthony squirmed on his chair. "You mind?"

Carina shrugged. "Whatever, knock yourself out. Charlie and mommy will have special weekend plans too, isn't that right, Charlie?" She continued to babble to her child while Anthony and Thorne high-fived discreetly.

Shan crossed her arms. "So, the girls aren't invited? Shame on you, Thorne."

Thorne held up his hands. "Never said that. You can come but assuming that you hit it off with art-gallery guy"—he leaned conspiratorially towards her—"I doubt you want to play poker with the guys next weekend. Or am I wrong?"

Shan grinned. "No." She turned to Blakely. "I still need to go shopping, you want to come along?"

The group resumed planning their week and Cress suddenly realised that she could make plans too. She could join Shan and Blakely for shopping (probably wouldn't happen but still) or visit Carina or maybe meet Kate for coffee. She didn't have to come up with excuses if duty called.

And she and Thorne could have the entire weekend to themselves.

All because she wasn't Satellite anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

"Just one bite."

"No."

"Cress, come on, just one bite. Believe me, it's great."

She moved her head from side to side, pressing her mouth into a thin line in hopes to evade the food Thorne was trying to offer her. "It's disgusting that's what it is." The scent of the fried cookie almost made her gag.

Cress thought she was already used to the overload of sugar and fat that was American food but there was no way she could have imagined the extent of it until they arrived at the fair. The hot dogs and the cotton candy were no surprise to her, they had those back home too. But going from food stall to food stall, she quickly learned that the most popular food apparently came in only two forms: Either deep-fried or on a stick - at worst, both.

That's how Cress had come across deep-fried mashed potatoes, candy bars of every sort, s'mores, pickles, breakfast sandwiches, and sausages. Basically everything that was half-way edible had been deep-fried and put on a stick.

Cress was not impressed.

Thorne apparently had no qualms. "Don't be a spoil-sport. It's really not bad." He waved the deep-fried Oreo in front of her and with an annoyed grunt, Cress took a small bite to shut him up. It wasn't as gross as she had imagined but really, Oreos were fine on their own, what was the point of overpowering the taste with all that grease?

Still, it was better than those candy corns she had tried during her first week after moving to New York. Those had been just nasty.

Pleased, Thorne eyed her dessert. "Since I let you take a bite from mine, I think it would be only fair if you returned the favour, don't you think?"

Ah, so that had been his intention. "Hm, a lousy bite of a greasy Oreo for the taste of my delicious Belgian waffle?" She pretended to think. "Nah, thanks." She took another bite of her waffle, chuckling when she saw his pout.

"But we're married! That means that half of your stuff belongs to me. Including this waffle." He made a show to take a bite of her waffle before she quickly pulled it out of reach.

"Good point. I would have to share - if you wanted to get a divorce that is."

Thorne made a funny noise. "No waffle would be worth that." He pulled her closer to him, kissing her temple. "Don't even joke about it."

The sudden shift in Thorne's voice, now low and sincere, rather than light and boisterous, made her heart thump with joy. Snuggling against him so her shoulder was pressed against his chest, Cress held up her waffle for Thorne to take a bite out of it. The kiss that followed was just as sweet with a hint of powdery sugar still on his lips.

After they ate, they continued to tour the fair. It suddenly struck Cress that this was one of the few places where her powers would be useless. She couldn't cheat on any of the games or lottery. It made her feel more normal than usual. Except that now she had no way of winning any of the cute stuffed animals.

While Cress eyed one of the ring tossing booths, Thorne pulled her to one of the shooting booths. "Ah, I haven't tried my hands at one of these in a long time," he said, pulling a few dollars from his pocket.

Cress glanced around the booth while Thorne tested the weight of the rifles. It didn't seem like there were many prizes to be won but Thorne seemed to have his eyes on the game where one could shoot flowers. She would love to have one of those. Still, she leaned over to whisper into his ear, "Don't you think the game might be rigged? There are often news segments about how impossible it is to win."

"Only one way to find out." Thorne leaned forward to steady the rifle, one eye closed as he concentrated. He didn't move for a few seconds and then shot five times in quick succession.

Three plastic flowers fell down.

Cress clapped in excitement. Eyebrows furrowed, Thorne paid for another round and won another three flowers.

The game worker's wrinkled face lit up with smile as picked them up and, with a small bow, handed them to Cress. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady."

Cress blushed at the earnest compliment. "Thank you."

"Complimenting my wife? Shouldn't that be my job?" But Thorne grinned as he handed the rifle back.

The man clapped Thorne's shoulder. "It is, boy, and don't you forget it. Pretty lady like that, you're lucky."

His hand found the side of her hip, squeezing it lightly. "Always am."

Cress melted against him. There was something special about the way Thorne was always so open with his feelings for her. He never tried to be cool or play them off like other guys sometimes did. It had been one of the things that had drawn her to him almost right away. There was an honesty to Thorne that was hard to resist.

"You were really good with the rifle," Cress said. "The game wasn't rigged then?"

"No, I don't think so. It's just that is has been awhile since the last time I shot. I don't think the rifles were tampered with but a few years ago I should have been able to hit five out of five."

"Wow. Where did you learn how to shoot?"

Thorne looked over a ring tossing booth where a few boys tried their luck but Cress had the feeling he wasn't interested in the game. "My father sometimes took me hunting in the summer. He taught me how to shoot."

"Ah." Americans and their guns. But it was rare that Thorne spoke about his parents. They had some kind of fall-out years ago and had no contact since then. Why, Cress didn't know. She didn't feel comfortable pushing for answers when she herself kept some secrets from Thorne. He knew her father lived in Beijing because of his work but since she never gave Thorne her real name and she and her father had decided to keep contact at a minimum until his research was done, the two of them had never met either.

Unsure of what to say, Cress let a few seconds pass. "He was in the military, right?"

"I told you that?" He looked genuinely surprised. "You're right. Yeah, he was a big deal too. Always wanted me to join the army like him. So during summer we often went out camping and hunting with a few of his friends and their sons. And you know how boys are."

Cress didn't and Thorne laughed at her expression. "A bunch of teenage guys with rifles and some cute girls from a nearby town to impress? Yeah, we all tried to be the best. That's how I learned to shoot but apparently, I'm not that good anymore. Still fantastic but not quite," he said with a wink. Then his face changed as something occurred to him. "Hey, what about you? Would you like to try?"

"Um, I don't know. Yes?"

But Thorne had already pulled her back to the shooting booth and paid for another round. "It's the lady's turn," he told the old man who looked only too happy to have them back. He handed Cress a rifle and she was surprised by the weight.

Thorne stepped behind her, positioning the rifle in her hands and together, they leaned forward, her back to his chest. Thorne steadied her arm with one hand, the other had slipped under the hem of her jacket and gripped her waist. Cress's heart thumped so loudly in her throat that she could hardly hear his instructions.

"... and then focus on your target. Don't get distracted by anything else just focus on the piece of plastic you need to shoot to get the flower you want."

Easier said than done with his hand burning at her hip but Cress closed one eye and picked a little purple carnation.

"Take your time. Relax, you've got all the time in the world."

Cress took a breath and shot, squealing as she did so. The little piece of plastic chipped at the top but otherwise, stayed intact. The first miss.

"Oh, I don't know, Thorne. Maybe you should do it."

"Nope, you got it. Believe me."

Unconvinced, Cress nevertheless lifted the rifle again. She concentrated on the same flower but this time she anticipated the recoil and bang when she pressed the trigger. A yellow daffodil fell down.

"See, you got it! Amazing, and at your second try." Thorne beamed down at her and Cress didn't have the heart to tell him that she had her eyes on a different flower. But still, she won one flower so she didn't feel like a total loser.

The next two shots missed her target but on the fifth try, she finally won her purple carnation. The old man congratulated her and Thorne planted a quick peck to her temple. The eight plastic flowers they won made a nice little bouquet but she was glad to hand the rifle back.

They continued to play at a few other booths with Thorne excelling at basketball toss and teaching her skee ball. Cress was surprisingly good at balloon dart throw so together they won a few trinkets. A peacock feather, two pens, a pineapple keychain, a small strawberry stuffed toy, a heart-eyes emoji bag clip and a blinking bracelet but otherwise, nothing big.

That's when Cress saw the cutest stuffed toys in one of the crane machines. Big-eyed, fluffy and ridiculously adorable. They were a far-cry from being realistic, rather pillow-shaped and ...

... Cress wanted one.

She inserted a coin but a few tries in, she had to concede that it was harder than it looked. Or it was rigged. Cress wished she could use her powers a bit to confound the machine's timer, giving her more time to position the joystick but it was no use.

"You know I could just buy you a stuffed toy, right?" Thorne had leaned against the glass, studying the crane as it came up empty-handed again. "These have probably been in there for ages and smell bad."

She ignored him, pulling the last coin in the slot. "I don't want just any stuffed toy but look at this one"—she pointed at one stuffed animal that resembled a cat—"it's so cute. I had a similar one back home my father gave me." There was no way she could have brought every piece of her belongings to the US with her but that stuffed toy would remind her of home.

If she could win it, that is.

The crane finally managed to hold onto the stuffed toy Cress wanted to win but on the way up, the cat escaped its grasp and fell down to where it had lain before. "Oh, boo."

Cress looked through her purse for more coins but even the few coins at the bottom weren't enough for another round. She did find a five-dollar note though. She just needed to change it and then she would allow herself only five more tries to win her stuffed animal.

She looked at Thorne. "I'll quickly change my money. Can you maybe look up some tricks on how to crack the machine? There must be a way to get a prize right? Other people win it too."

He raised an eyebrow, taking another look at the plush cat. "You really want it that much?"

"Yes." She made her way to the next booth. "And make sure no one else wins it."

Cress changed her money, trying to think of a strategy that would work. When she came back, Thorne still leaned casually against the booth.

With the stuffed animal she had wanted to win in his hand.

"What?" Looking between him, the fluffy cat and the crane machine, Cress was at a loss for words. "When? How ... huh?"

He chuckled. "Yes?"

"How did you manage to win the toy?!"

"Want to steal my tricks?" When she nodded, he tapped her nose playfully. "Ah-ah, one should never reveal their tricks. That goes for magicians, criminal masterminds and awesome husbands who win stuffed toys from a crane machine."

"Criminal what?" She shook her head. "I can't believe you won. Just like that." She couldn't have been gone for more than two minutes.

He tapped against the glass and there was a knowing smile on his lips. "That's because I'm amazing." He didn't say anything more than that. He probably knew perfectly well that Cress was bursting with curiosity but he seemed only too happy to keep his method secret.

She let him. "You are. Thank you."

He handed her the plush cat, leaning closer as she hugged it to her chest. "Sooo ... you think I deserve a reward for freeing that poor cat from the confines of this horrible box?"

Cress giggled. "Little Cress and I are eternally grateful for your services."

Eyebrows furrowed, Thorne was silent for a few seconds before he broke out into laughter. "Oh, you mean the cat! I thought you meant your—"

"Thorne!" She exclaimed, aghast and looked around if anyone overheard them. "Of course I meant the cat!"

There was an amused smile on his lips. "Too bad." He looked at the toy in her arms. "Little Cress ... you sure about that?"

Cress shrugged. "That's what I named my plush cat back home."

"Yes but I think you're more creative than you were at what? Three? Four?"

Cress had been nine when her dad had brought her the toy as a present but he didn't need to know that. She could have her secrets too after all. "Something like that." She considered the stuffed toy. "How would you name it then?"

"Easy. Boots."

"Aww. Like Puss in Boots? That's so cute." She held up the cat, considering the name. "Okay then, Boots it is."

But when she looked up at Thorne, his eyes weren't on the toy anymore but intently fixed on her. Goosebumps erupted on her skin. She would never get over the way he looked at her with those deep, blue eyes.

His face was only inches away from hers, so close that it would only need her to get on her toes just a little to capture his lips with her own.

Eyes fluttering shut, Cress pulled herself up, anticipating a kiss—

BOOM!

An almost deafening blast shook the earth beneath her.


End file.
